Terendelev's Scales

[Angry Wizard]

So... I don't really care for the silver scales in book 1 of WotR. Not that they aren't useful, but my players when they first got them sort of shrugged after I described their aura of sadness and righteous fury in them, as well as their resonance of arcane power. Not that they didn't feel for the dragon that just got vorpaled, but they just didn't like the powers on them, especially where some of the scales were proved much more useful (cloud walking, resist energy) than some of the others (disguise self, align weapon) and after the first 3 campaign days they were just sort of forgotten by the players. And I HATE giving out useless/soon-to-be-forgotten-items to my players, even when I give them mounds of flavor.

So since we're restarting WotR anyways (game group drama), I figured I'd take this time to make them into something more useful to anyone, while keeping with the flavor of this great demon smiting dragon.

Terendelev's Scales
Slot: -
Weight: -
Description: These scales carry with them a great sorrow and feeling of emotional weight, while still surging with the need to smite demons from the face of the earth. 1/day as an swift action, the wielder can call upon the power of their and target one demon. The wielder overcomes any DR/cold iron and/or good the demon possess as well as bypass any elemental resistances the demon has. Any additional DR/ and elemental immunities still apply as normal.

It only targets demons, but it allows players who are struggling to overcome a demon's DR to still remain relevant in combat, as well as casters who want to cast fireball without feeling sad. By the end of the campaign they can still be useful for many different class. It's like a miniature smite.

Thoughts? Changes?

[Kalindlara]

Honestly? Given what you've said about useless items... I would just cut them. I don't know how far you reached last time, but Wrath of the Righteous loads the party down with minor activated abilities like this - the Badges are the worst of it. Plus, your group will not need the buff once they're into mythic.

Instead, you could give them an ongoing effect (Protection of Terendelev, or something) and have it vanish later. Describe both the sense of spiritual guidance and protection they feel... and the feeling of it being torn away at an otherwise innocuous time.

Just my thoughts, though. :) What do you think?

[Ssyvan]

Angry Wizard wrote:

So... I don't really care for the silver scales in book 1 of WotR. Not that they aren't useful, but my players when they first got them sort of shrugged after I described their aura of sadness and righteous fury in them, as well as their resonance of arcane power. Not that they didn't feel for the dragon that just got vorpaled, but they just didn't like the powers on them, especially where some of the scales were proved much more useful (cloud walking, resist energy) than some of the others (disguise self, align weapon) and after the first 3 campaign days they were just sort of forgotten by the players. And I HATE giving out useless/soon-to-be-forgotten-items to my players, even when I give them mounds of flavor.

So since we're restarting WotR anyways (game group drama), I figured I'd take this time to make them into something more useful to anyone, while keeping with the flavor of this great demon smiting dragon.

Terendelev's Scales
Slot: -
Weight: -
Description: These scales carry with them a great sorrow and feeling of emotional weight, while still surging with the need to smite demons from the face of the earth. 1/day as an swift action, the wielder can call upon the power of their and target one demon. The wielder overcomes any DR/cold iron and/or good the demon possess as well as bypass any elemental resistances the demon has. Any additional DR/ and elemental immunities still apply as normal.

It only targets demons, but it allows players who are struggling to overcome a demon's DR to still remain relevant in combat, as well as casters who want to cast fireball without feeling sad. By the end of the campaign they can still be useful for many different class. It's like a miniature smite.

Thoughts? Changes?

Honestly my group has gotten so much more out of the Alter Self scale and the Align Weapon scales than they have out of the other two. I only recall the Cloudwalking one used twice to bypass some climb checks. And the resist energy (while super useful) hasn't been used at all.

Is group aware of the +2 Str or +2 Dex buff that can come with Alter Self? Or that it can sorta work as Longstrider (in effect granting extra movement speed)?

Also, the align weapon scale does work on natural weapons and it's an easy way to bypass DR for 19 minutes.

[Celanian]

I changed them as follows:

Scale 1 Ignores SR from chaotic evil outsiders as a swift action 3 times a day for 1 minute each

Scale 2 Ignores cold/electric resistance and allows 1/2 damage to immunity 3 times a day for 1 minute each as a swift action

Scale 3 Allows 30 cold/electric resistance 3 times a day as a swift action. Will eventually upgrade to allowing it as an immediate action.

Scale 4 Levitate 3 times a day as a swift action for 1 minute each. Will eventually upgrade to allow flight instead.

[grandpoobah]

I kept the scales as written.

I am running WOTR as non-mythic, and the PCs found the scales useful through all of Book 1 and Book 2.

In Book 4 now, they still get used: The monk likes the Align weapon (she still has not made her attacks holy), The paladin likes the +2 strength and Darkvision from Alter Self, and the Cleric likes the free Resist 30 Cold or Lightning. The one that gets the least use is the Levitation / Cloudwalking one, but it comes in handy about every other session as a utility item (levitation on an object makes an elevator, especially at caster level 19).

Honestly, if your group forgets items a lot I'd drop them (and the crusader medals in book 2 and wardstone shards in book 1). The scales are super useful in Book 1, when you're not mythic. Perhaps make them a consumable Hero point? A great way to bridge the gap to mythic. Then you (as the GM) can just remind them they have them when they're about to die: "oh no, you failed that death attack save, remember you still have that magic terendelev scale and could use it to re roll that..."

[laraqua]

The wardstone shards weren't popular and were quickly forgotten but since I'm expanding the campaign quite a bit to make it more about holding a beach head in the Worldwound (with loads and loads of kingdom building, fundraising and every adventure under the sun), I decided to make it that their abilities could be applied to 50 individual's weapons for a single round during the Mass Combat rules. That will certainly make them more valuable to my solo player!

YMMV on Mass Combat Rules but they work all right when you've only one player.

[Khelavraa]

The scales of Terendelev were wildly popular with my group. They felt this was a very significant event - some have assumed this is the beginning of their mythic ascension and they have taken to calling themselves the Scions of Terendelev.

I have six players and wanted scales with unique powers for each of them so I had to design new scales (based around level 2 spells and powers). Since this was so significant for them I figure I will make them Mythic Items that grow with the characters as we go.

Some of the ideas others have listed above are what I was thinking of. Here are some of my twists.

Cloud Walk - Levitation (3/day, duration as per spell) > Air Walk (same) > Flight > a communal overland fly called cloud chariot.

Sacred Weapon - Align weapon (good) > Communal Align Weapon (Good with no need to touch the weapons of others who hold a scale) > Later on add various weapon qualities.

Sacred Protection - As Protection from evil 3/day as the spell > Communal (again, no need to touch the weapons of others who hold a scale) > Etc.

Sacred Body - Aid 3/day as per spell > Communal Aid > Heroism, etc.

Weapon recall - Retruning weapon 3/day as the spell.

Edit: I just received a text from one player who thinks they may mount the scales in some sort of badge or leather shoulder piece like in the BBC's The Musketeers. They REALLY like these beyond what powers they bring.

[The Crusader]

I use them and trade them out constantly, though I'm the only one in the group who does so.

The Cloudwalking one has been really useful. Half the time I don't even worry about actually levitating. I just use the cloud pillar to get the 20% concealment. And boy has that frustrated our DM with some of his ranged ambushes...

[laraqua]

What you could do if it's a very RP-intensive game is let them use the Silver Scales as either medals for their generals or perhaps to bless shrines? Same thing with the Wardstone Shards, now that I think of them.

[OilHorse]

I thought about modifying them, but in the end just didn't use them.

[waterwashesstuff]

The DM won't let us sell them, and the Resistance to Cold/Electricity scale is utterly worthless against the Abyssal hordes... so yeah. My PC has no compelling reason to have this item.